GORHAM — Two student senators at the University of Southern Maine resigned their positions Friday after students protested how they handled the discovery of anti-Muslim graffiti in the student government offices.

The resignations were announced at an emotional two-hour-plus meeting of the Student Senate, dominated by a string of student speakers demanding that the entire board resign over the incident. About half the seats in the 21-seat Senate are currently vacant.

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Derrick Stanley and Benjamin Bussiere both apologized in their resignation statements.

The two were criticized for saying the graffiti – the Latin phrase “Deus Vult” or “God Wills It” – should be cleaned up and not reported to campus police. Other student body officials who discovered the graffiti, written on a desk and on a wall, had already taken pictures of it and filed a report with campus police, they said Friday.

The phrase was used as a rallying cry for Christians during the Crusades in medieval times, and recently has been adopted by the alt-right political movement as an anti-Muslim insult.

USM President Glenn Cummings condemned the graffiti, and the campus police are investigating it as a hate crime.

USM spokesman Bob Stein said the campus police report will be sent to the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office for a review of whether charges should be brought. Campus officials are also conducting an investigation to see if the student who wrote the graffiti – who is known to the senators – broke the student conduct code.

The students and campus officials are not releasing the student’s name because of the investigation.

Critics on Friday focused not just on the graffiti, but on a string of texts – between student leaders about how to deal with the graffiti – that was widely distributed on social media.

In it, some of the students are dismissive of the incident and use other anti-Muslim references, including a pig emoji and sarcastic references to Sharia law and Muslim religious phrases.

“It’s not right, it’s not OK,” said sophomore Fatuma Awale, a Muslim, as she held up a copy of the senators’ exchange. She and others said they didn’t accept the senators’ apology. “Don’t act like the victim.”

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Bootjack

I think all of these students involved in these protests who are not citizens should be reported to ICE and deported.
Tuesday hopefully will usher in a new era in this country where American values and traditions are made strong again.

KennebunkportPatriot

‘I think…’

You lost the argument right there, jackboot. Surely you have issued to deal with in Biddo??

Bootjack

It’s an opinion. Not likely to happen as long as Obama is in office. But freely offered.

A person.

So Jackboot, tell me more about this new America?

raymaine

2 cars in every garage and a chicken in every pot.

The mills will thrive again and all the shoe shops will reopen.

Of course the steel mills will once again be producing on 3 shifts – 24/7

A person.

I wonder how the big orange man intends to pay for all this.

raymaine

To the rubes, and his “poorly educated” these are questions that have never occurred or they have dismissed, unfortunately. Trump is the second coming of Elmer Gantry !

A person.

Hahaha! that was great.

gadfly371

To the narrow minded!

A person.

If narrow minded means opposing a crude narcissistic playboy with no idea how foreign policy works, then count me in.

Bootjack

Well obviously you have no idea of our laws and how immigration works in this country. If they don’t behave and aren’t citizens they go home. Quickly.
As far as “foreign policy” it should be “America First”.

A person.

Sure, why not just k!ll them? It would be cheaper.

gadfly371

He should seek donations from foreign countries and give them special access to our government. Libs don’t mind this.

10isace2

and you know they are not citizen how? Have seen their passports, or it the color of the skin? Please do tell?

Bootjack

Obviously their citizenship status would have to be determined which was directly what my post said. If they aren’t citizens they have no business here unless they behave.

gorehound13

Tuesday is the Day we send you trump creeps scampering for the hills.

shooter777

Just watched the “emotional meeting” and the protesters. Looked like most of these protesters were the same who participated in the BLM parade in the Old Port a few months ago. As I watched I was wondering how many of these protesters paid even one penny of their tuition. This is what is coming out of liberal USM today, freeloading students who expect everything for free and when things don’t go their way, they have no problems interrupting everyone else with their protesting.

frank abbott

Crawl back into your hole and hibernate for a few months.

KennebunkportPatriot

That would involve removing his head, first.

Sach

We all know where your head is.

gadfly371

Frank! Again? You need to tone it down!

KennebunkportPatriot

You seem to have an unhealthy relationship with the BLM parade. Were you marching, or stalking?

gadfly371

That’s how it is with libbies. More of the same with Clinton as POTUS.

gorehound13

You are a jerk……….bet you vote for trump.

KennebunkportPatriot

Young Bussiere’s Facebook is interesting. Nice to see the manifold conservative plaudits, and the photo of him before his ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ flag.

He obviously did not read the Bagger Rule Book: ‘Never explain. Never apologize’.

raymaine

More time for their Young Republican Club duties !

KennebunkportPatriot

They look for their Neidermeyer to lead them….

raymaine

” killed by his own platoon in Vietnam”

KennebunkportPatriot

What a great movie!

raymaine

Indeed. I saw it 6 times the Summer of 1978 when it came out !

chastity.given

After 5 years I finally left my previous work and I never felt so good in my life… I started to work from home, for this company I stumbled upon online, few hrs each day, and I profit now much more than i did on my previous job… My last month payment was for 9 thousand dollars… Amazing thing about this is the more time i got for my family… KORTA.NU/MDe

Bigotry and hate? Which party aligns itself with Black Lives Matter, unprecedented levels of corruption, open borders, refugee dumping, abortion on demand, union thugs, misogynist rap lyrics, and so on?

A person.

Which party nominated a clown whose followers cyberstalk Jews, women, and minorities, wants to f**k is daughter, rapes women, Is awaiting trial for fraud and racketeering, spies on underage girls, admires Putin, Assad, Kim-Jong Un, and keeps one of Hitler’s books by his bed?

Lil Devil

He doesn’t understand that.

bargogx1

Where the Left walks, violence and the crushing of free speech always follows.

mbthorne

The USM “god wills it” brouhaha is a parody party. Self-important Porto-politicians focusing time, effort and emotion on THIS. Oy! Really? USM does not enjoy a very positive reputation. Quite the opposite. This latest episode seems ripe for an episode of SNL. Oh and I’m a life long liberal democrat, Bernie, supporter, gay, married to a man. And I am part of a multi-racial and religiously plural family. and yes this faux controversy is ridiculous.

Flubber

Wow. Forcing out two elected representatives because they didn’t share the majority’s opinion. Aren’t we supposed to benefit from exposure to a variety of viewpoints? Isn’t that what the academy is all about?

gadfly371

Gotta laugh!

funfundvierzig

In the meantime, Muslims are free to cry “Allahu Akkbar” all they want, because apparently freedom of expression is only selectively applied and upheld now in America.

…funfun…

10isace2

LMAO! You should take that on the road because you are HI larious

A person.

Have you ever personally seen a Muslim in the United States actually cry “Allahu Akbar” in public? I don’t think they’d be doing it for very long.

Mushrikoon

Or you are already dead.

A person.

I’d be dead if you were in charge, too.

Mushrikoon

Side with Muslims, I guarantee you will die with them as if you are one of them.

A person.

I don’t need to. I have a feeling you would kill me anyway.

Mushrikoon

dats a nice babby
cute widdle babby

A person.

It wouldn’t be easy.

Brown

Cut the drama queen act. You’re in no danger and you darn well know it. Now, get real and talk logically or get lost.

A person.

Want a cookie?

Brown

So you’re a moron. Sorry, I didn’t realize. I’ll leave you alone.

A person.

Thank you.

DimeRoller

go crawl back into your AltRight hole, oyboy.

Mushrikoon

That’s nice, you are someone who sides with Muslims. Don’t worry, the rope will find you.

Jessiemac

I believe there have been a number of incidents where murdering islamic trash have called out “allah is greater (alluha akbar)” as they were murdering civilians and trying to kill police officers.

A person.

Firstly, did you see this personally? Secondly, I am ware only of Omar Mateen, the Orlando shooter, and the mall stabber, at least in recent memory. So how many is a number?

Brown

740

Dave

One person screeching “Allahu Akbar” is too many

A person.

Oh. So we should kill them all?

Dave

Less than 1% of pit bulls attack and governments want them banned. Statistically speaking, 15% of muslims are fanatics(the kind that run around screaming Allahu akbar)so deportation is a viable option.
Strange how leftists all figure killing is always the first option.
Just saying.

A person.

Well… You folks have suggested executing “crooked hillary” more than a few times.

Dave

That is what is supposed to happen to people handing out state secrets. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg come to mind.

A person.

Difference being they were convicted. Clinton hasn’t even been tried.
And for the record, I don’t particularly like her, either.

Dave

That’s good. It means there is hope for you. ????

Triad

Yep. Go to a trump rally and find out. Make sure you wear the clown outfit of redhat with brown shirt…

funfundvierzig

All the unethical trash in the corrupt Clinton Camp can do is hurl sleazy personal attacks against readers with independent viewpoints. Speaks volumes! …funfun..

funfundvierzig

Political Correctness gone wild!

Is the University of Maine trying to compete with Bowdoin College and their Donnybrook Fair over tiny sombreros worn at a private off-grounds party last spring?

“Micro-aggressions” or microaggressions is a term of art hurled by hyper-defencive people who believe their culture is being expropriated and their trigger points are not being respected and they have been victimised by what are likely imaginary insults.

Example, a Mexican student at Bowdoin College seemingly became hysterically outraged when she found out a couple of coeds had donned tiny sombreros at an off-campus private party. This led to at least one coed becoming removed from her dorm room and threatened with impeachment!

Political Correctness Gone Wild.

…funfun..

A person.

I know what they are. They’re silly. While “D!cks out for harambe,” and “Deus lo Vult,” are too ridiculous to be considered hate speech or anything, the person who wrote it is guilty of vandalism. That’s all.

First of all, the Crusades were defensive battles to prevent the invasion of Arabic Islamic armies into the Middle East and Europe. Secondly, why is there no outrage about a real threat that there is chapter of the Muslim Students Association on campus? The MSA is the oldest Muslim Brotherhood front in America dating back to the sixties.

For those who care to educate themselves research stealth or cultural jihad. This protest is nothing more than an effort to gradually implement Sharia law into our institutions.

DimeRoller

shouldnt you be over on the AltRight websites calling for armed insurrection and shopping for boytoys for Pamela Geller?

Charles Martel

And you must be from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Pam Geller, Brigitte Gabriel, Claire Lopez, Nonie Darwish, Diana West, Ayan Hirsi Ali and so on are all courageous women who speak the truth about the threat of Islam.

I was at a National Security Forum in Stoughton, MA this past Wednesday. The Islamic Society of Boston and Hamas-linked CAIR tried to have it shut down and when they couldn’t they conducted a protest. Fortunately, with a SWAT team, the Stoughton PD and a private security firm in place there were no disruptions.

So, I’m guessing that you’re fine with subverting our First Amendment right to free speech and Article 6.2 of the U.S. Constitution to Sharia law? I think It’s a toss-up as to which is more repugnant Leftist apologists such as Obama, Hillary and yourself or Sharia-adherent Muslims.

DimeRoller

seriously, what name do you post under over on the Right Stuff or the rest of the racist sites?
Charlemagne the Great?

Bootjack

Sharia law should be banned in the U.S. as it has in other countries. Why would we want a proud nation that was built by our forefathers to be contaminated with Sharia law which goes against every tenet this nation was founded on?

DimeRoller

nobody is trying to institute Sharia law, Boot.
Not any more than the Religious Right is trying to institute their own version of Sharia Law.

Bootjack

And both sides are wrong. Religious law is unconstitutional regardless of who it is.

Mushrikoon

Muslims will live by Shariah in their self-segregated enclaves so the fact is that Shariah is already instituted on American soil.

Charles Martel

What “race” is Islam, genius?

A person.

It’s not. But what’s your point

DimeRoller

after you get done with the Muslims, who’s next on your list?

A person.

As I said above, a Muslim shouting “Allahu Akbar” in public in the United States would be lucky if they got arrested, rather than sh ot by someone like yourself.

Devonshade

I blame lepage the suckpump to trump, for encouraging the hatred towards blacks, immigrants and Islam.

Mushrikoon

What do you admire about Mohammad?

Hard Little Machine

Fair enough. I hope someone carbombs the school in the name of free speech.

AmusedInMaine

Let’s see. About half of the student senate’s positions are vacant, and two just resigned over some silly issue of political correctness. That says it all. The student senate is a farce and no one cares about it. Why is it even in the news? (Yeah, I know, any matter of political correctness, real or imagined, big or small, is front page news for the PPH.)

What a generation of self righteous politically correct whining ‘everyone gets a trophy’ pansies(I cleaned that word up so I could post this). 1st amendment rights cover this….no harm, no threat, no harassment…nothing. Get over yourselves.

funfundvierzig

Say “God Willing” in a different language in America, and it is a hate crime?

Where are the aggressive attorneys in the ACLU who vigilantly protect freedom of speech? Maybe they are too busy joining Ferguson-style mobs, breaking the laws, damaging property and threatening innocent motorists?